Washington and Roosevelt had to play through poor light last Saturday night after banks of lights went out at Howard Wood. / Screengrab from video

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There are two big football games scheduled to take place at Howard Wood Field this weekend, with top-ranked Roosevelt facing No. 2 Lincoln on Friday and O’Gorman hosting Washington in the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl on Saturday.

Normally, I would try to shed light on those matchups, but shedding light at Howard Wood has become a problem of late.

During action the past two weeks, including last Saturday’s Presidents Bowl, banks of stadium lights have gone out, causing disruption for players and fans and embarrassment for the Sioux Falls School District, which owns the facility and recently spent $6.7 million on renovations.

On Aug. 30, during the second half of Washington’s season-opening victory over Aberdeen Central, a set of lights near the northeast end zone on the visitor’s side went out, the result of a faulty circuit-breaker, according to Mark Meile, activities coordinator for the school district.

The game was able to continue after officials determined that both teams would run their offense toward the illuminated part of the field.

“It was hard to see at times, but it added sort of a unique atmosphere to things,” said ever-diplomatic Washington linebacker Dan Marlette.

Then last Saturday, during the Presidents Bowl nightcap between Washington and Roosevelt, the same bank of lights went dark along with a set on the southwest end of the home side, with faulty in-ground wiring the culprit this time.

“We were not getting power to one of the poles,” says Meile, adding that both coaches were consulted and the decision was made to resume action.

“I kept looking over my shoulder, wondering how long we were going to play with the lights out,” said Roosevelt coach Kim Nelson, whose Rough Riders fought through second-half darkness to claim a 30-7 victory.

“I think the facility is terrific and I love playing out there,” added Nelson, “but that was a little different. At least it was the same for both teams.”

Meile, who supervises the facility for high school events, said the electrical issues were addressed this week and will be resolved in time for Friday’s key clash between Roosevelt and Lincoln.

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He understands the delicacy of the situation, with Howard Wood coming off a major renovation project and something as basic as stadium lights malfunctioning. The lights weren’t part of the project – which mainly included new grandstands, press box and track – but there was wiring done that clearly fell short of the mark.

“It’s frustrating, because we got the remodeling done and then something that some people take for granted – the lights – ends up not working,” said Meile. “We did a lot of testing and still had a problem, so that’s disappointing. But we’re ready to put it behind us.”

Of course, the old axiom that springs to mind regarding the Howard Wood renovation is this: If you’re going to do something, do it right.

It would have made sense to install a new lighting system during the remodeling, just like many wondered why a new fieldhouse to replace the stadium’s archaic locker rooms wasn’t included in the project.

This is not to suggest that there was a blank check available to take care of all needs, but lighting and locker rooms (to replace the original fieldhouse constructed in 1957) are hardly luxuries when it comes to providing adequate facilities for student-athletes in the state’s largest district.

“It’s realistic to say that we would take a look at replacing those things down the road,” said Meile. “Like anything else, that will depend on how the budget situation develops.”

Another looming issue is the synthetic turf at Howard Wood, which was installed in 2003 at a cost of $650,000 – private funds donated by the “Turf Team” of Sanford Health, First Premier Bank, Wells Fargo and the city.

The FieldTurf surface was guaranteed for eight years but typically lasts for 12 years with good maintenance, Meile said. This is the 11th year at the Wood (with band and track events adding wear and tear), so it could soon be time for action.

The school district will know more Friday, when a “synthetic turf evaluation” is performed to determine the hardness of the field.

“That will tell us what kind of shape we’re in,” said Meile, adding that private donations could again play a role in getting new turf.

Of course, after two weeks of semi-darkness, keeping the lights on are the top priority, especially with big games on the docket Friday and Saturday.

“(Getting new lights) is on our hit list,” said Meile. “But my main goal is just to make it through one game with them working properly.”